Group Members Lyndsay Hamilton Anna Hoffman Carson Scally

Passage Chapter: Appendix Page: 149 I find, since reading over the foregoing Narrative, that I have, in several instances, spoken in such a tone and manner, respecting religion, as may possibly lead those unacquainted with my religious views to suppose me an opponent of all religion. To remove the liability of such misapprehension, I deem it proper to append the following brief explanation. What I have said respecting and against religion, I mean strictly to apply to the slaveholding religion [1] of this land, and with no possible reference to Christianity proper; for, between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference—so wide, that to receive the one as good, pure, and holy, is of necessity to reject the other as bad, corrupt, and wicked. To be the friend of the one, is of necessity to be the enemy of the other. [3, 7] I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: [4] I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land. [2, 5] Indeed, I can see no reason, but the most deceitful one, for calling the religion of this land Christianity. I look upon it as the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of all frauds, and the grossest of all libels. [8] Never was there a clearer case of "stealing the livery of the court of heaven to serve the devil in. “ [6] I am filled with unutterable loathing when I contemplate the religious pomp and show, together with the horrible inconsistencies, which every where surround me. We have men-stealers for ministers, women-whippers for missionaries, and cradle-plunderers for church members.

Annotation 1 “…slaveholding religion…” As Douglass is talking about Christianity, he mentions the “slaveholding religion, ” which though it is not a direct name for Christianity, shows how the slaveholders use this religion and add there own parts, as if to create their own part of religion, taking parts of the main religion of Christianity. A few lines down, he also mentions, the “widest possible differences” which only approves this idea more. The slaveholders have seemed to have created a new religion in which they give themselves the right to use cruel punishment on the slaves. Return to passage

Annotation 2 “I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land. ” In this quote, Douglass uses contrast to show the different sides of Christianity and which side relates to the slaveholders. He mentions the “hypocritical” part as if to say that the slaveholders use the words of the Bible to their own benefit and against the slaves. Return to passage

Annotation 3 “To be the friend of the one, is of necessity to be the enemy of the other. ” Douglass is speaking about religion of Christianity and then, as mentioned before, the slaveholding. He uses parallelism to show he appreciates the former, but does not the latter. He is the friend of the caring and peaceful part of Christianity, but is the enemy of the part that had captured him as well—the slaveholding part. Return to passage

Annotation 4 “I recognize the widest possible difference—so wide, that to receive the one as good, pure, and holy, is of necessity to reject the other as bad, corrupt, and wicked. To be the friend of the one, is of necessity to be the enemy of the other. I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ…” This represents his disapproval of slave-owners claiming to believe in Christianity is impossible making them hypocrites. Douglass himself is a Christian man, claiming his religion to be “good, pure and holy” while the slave owners do not live in the face of God but “bad, corrupt and wicked” beings making it and example of antithesis, using the contrasting adjectives. Return to passage

Annotation 5 “I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land. ” “Women whipping, cradle plundering, partial and hypocritical” is an example of a epithet and describes the obscure claim that slave-owners, who dehumanize African Americans, claim themselves to be saintly Christians. This exemplifies their contrasting actions to their personality. Douglass goes on to illustrate this by using verbs and adjectieves such as hypocrticial holding whipping and corrupt claims of Christianity that the slave owners claim. Return to passage

Annotation 6 “Never was there a clearer case of "stealing the livery of the court of heaven to serve the devil in. ”” This quote of the passage is an example of an allusion, the quote “stealing the livery of the court of heaven to serve the devil in” which is a quote from the Bible. Douglass emphasizes again the hypocrisy and uses the quote from the book of Matthew to help. The outer appearance of the slaveholding may be considered to be angelic in one perspective but regardless their souls and actions are wicked and unholy according to Douglass. The slave owners fail to realize that their decision to act inhumanely against African Americans does not allocate with their devotion to Christianity. Return to passage

Annotation 7 What I have said respecting and against religion, I mean strictly to apply to the slaveholding religion of this land, and with no possible reference to Christianity proper; for, between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference—so wide, that to receive the one as good, pure, and holy, is of necessity to reject the other as bad, corrupt, and wicked. To be the friend of the one, is of necessity to be the enemy of the other. By placing wide on both sides of the statement and the dash in the middle puts emphasis on the “wide” by separation between the opposite description. Good, pure and holy equals bad, corrupt and wicked; friend of one equals enemy of the other. Return to passage

Annotation 8 I look upon it as the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of all frauds, and the grossest of all libels. The parallelism of this line of Frederick Douglass shows three accusatory statements consisting in a series of superlatives followed by negatives “misnomers…frauds… and libels. ” These three words build up the intensity of the hypocrisy of slave owners practicing Christianity, which is why parallelism is used. Return to passage

Parallelism is the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning or meter. Parallelism examples are found in literary works as well as in ordinary conversations. Return to annotation Return to passage

Antithesis Literary device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence to achieve a contrasting affect. This device emphasizes the idea of contrast by parallel structures of the contrasted phrases or clauses. The structures of phrases and clauses are similar in order to draw the attention of the readers Return to annotation Return to passage

Epithet Descriptive rhetorical device that describes a place, thing or person. Return to annotation Return to passage

Allusion A brief and indirect reference to a person, place or thing; idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. Return to passage